The BIOS image, which includes both programs and data, is an essential set of routines in a personal computer (PC) or other computer system which is stored within the computer and provides an interface between the operating system and the hardware. The read-only locations in the BIOS image contain boot block code that is executed first after any power-up or system reset of the computer system. The BIOS image supports all peripheral technologies and internal services such as the real-time clock (time and date). On startup, code in the BIOS image (may be referred to as simply BIOS) tests the system and prepares the computer for operation by querying its own small memory bank for peripheral drive and other configuration settings. It searches for other BIOS images on the plug-in boards and sets up pointers (interrupt vectors) in memory to access those routines. It then loads the operating system and passes control to it. The BIOS accepts requests from the peripheral drivers as well as the application programs. The BIOS image must periodically be updated to keep pace with new peripheral technologies. If the BIOS image is stored in a read-only memory (ROM) chip (ROM BIOS), then to update the BIOS image the ROM chip must be replaced. In newer systems, the BIOS image is stored on an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) that may be upgraded via software. One problem with this method is that the BIOS in the EEPROM may be corrupted during the upgrade process. For example, corruption may occur if power is lost while updating the system BIOS image. To recover from the power loss, the covers of the system are opened and a jumper directs the receipt of a new BIOS image from an external storage device (e.g., a diskette). The diskette data is recorded into the EEPROM and then upon system re-boot the new BIOS image is used for setting up the system. The above method requires the system to be equipped with a diskette or other external readable storage media (e.g., CD-ROM) and it requires that the system covers be opened to manually direct (e.g., with a jumper) writing of the EEPROM with new BIOS image. Many new systems, while containing a hard drive, come without a diskette, CD-ROM, or other removable media drive. These systems which contain only a hard drive still require some method to recover a lost or corrupted BIOS image. It would be convenient to not require the opening of the covers of a system to update the stored BIOS image in an EEPROM, and it would be cost effective to eliminate nonessential storage devices incorporated in systems primarily for BIOS image recovery.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and system to allow the BIOS image to be recovered in a system with only a hard drive without requiring the covers of the system to be opened or requiring that the system be equipped with a diskette drive or a CD-ROM drive.